MTS achieves record buy-side trading activity on its BondsPro US platform

Over 800 unique traders executed business in 2016 as MTS BondsPro ecosystem continues to grow

60 new buy-side users have joined MTS BondsPro as result of recent Bloomberg TSOX partnership

Buy-side volumes increase 180% in 2017, setting new record since MTS acquisition in 2014

MTS Markets, part of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), has experienced a record increase in buy-side trading volumes on its MTS BondsPro corporate bond trading platform since the start of the year. Buy-side trading activity in 2017 has almost tripled since the same period in 2016, representing the highest levels ever recorded on the platform.

MTS BondsPro is an all-to-all trading model that has grown increasingly popular as institutions have looked to innovative technology solutions to overcome liquidity challenges in the corporate bond market. Over 800 traders executed on this MTS platform in 2016 and the ecosystem of both buy- and sell-side firms continues to grow. In February 2017 the platform recorded its highest overall weekly trading volume since MTS acquisition in 2014.

The growth was driven in part by MTS and Bloomberg’s collaborative alliance enabling corporate bonds in the BondsPro liquidity pool to be traded directly from the Bloomberg TSOX terminal. Over 60 new buy-side traders have gained access to MTS BondsPro as a result of this initiative, which was announced in June of 2016.

David Parker, Head of US Sales at MTS Markets, said:

“MTS BondsPro is building momentum as we continue to respond to credit liquidity challenges with innovative technology and new partnerships. Our all-to-all model connects a broad community of buy-side and sell-side participants, allowing them to act as either price maker or price taker and significantly enhance trading opportunities. We strive to be an essential component of the modern market structure.”

Anthony Perrotta, Jr., CEO of TABB Group, added:

“Institutional buy-side traders are increasingly adopting executable pricing protocols into their daily workflows. More than 40% of the institutional corporate bond traders interviewed for our upcoming 2017 buy-side trading IBS were documented with at least two or more executable pricing platforms, representing a 42.8% increase from 2015.”

BondsPro is an electronic platform that offers access to liquidity and real-time execution on an anonymous, all-to-all order book, supporting trading of a wide range of corporate bonds and emerging market debt.

MTS Group facilitates a number of regulated electronic fixed income markets across Europe and the US that are managed centrally to ensure optimum levels of global harmonisation and consistency. Over 500 unique counterparties trade an average volume of €100 billion each day on these platforms.

The individual companies within the MTS Group are regulated by financial services regulators in a number of European jurisdictions, including Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Italian Ministry of Finance, Banca d’Italia and Consob, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). In the United States MTS Markets International Inc. is a member of FINRA and operates MTS BondsPro which is an ATS registered with the SEC.

MTS Cash is a comprehensive and professional cash securities trading environment for the interdealer marketplace. MTS cash includes several domestic markets regulated in different jurisdictions enabling primary dealers to access unparalleled liquidity, transparency and coverage. MTS Repo provides an order-driven market for the electronic transaction of repo agreements and buy/sellbacks in Italy.

MTS BondVision is a trusted and efficient multi-dealer-to-client electronic bond trading platform, delivering exceptional access for institutional investors direct to market makers. MTS BondVision is accessible in Europe from the Italian and the UK legal entities and in the US through the US legal entity of MTS Group (MTS Markets International Inc.). On the BondVision platform, MTS Group provides institutional investors with real-time pricing and the ability to trade with the major dealers.

MTS Credit provides a variety of electronic execution methods for a wide range of multi-currency non-government bonds, including covered, SSA, corporate and financial bonds. MTS Credit is composed of financial instruments available to trade on both BondVision and MTS Prime.

MTS Data is sourced directly and exclusively from the MTS interdealer market and includes benchmark real-time data, reference data, reference prices and historical data, providing the benchmark data source on the fixed income market.

FTSE MTS Indices are operated by FTSE TMX Global Debt Capital Markets, in which MTS has a minority stake. They provide independent, transparent, real-time and tradable Eurozone fixed income indices, based on tradable prices from MTS. FTSE MTS indices are tracked by (and can be traded via) around 40 ETFs in addition to numerous structured products.

About London Stock Exchange Group:London Stock Exchange Group (LSE.L) is an international markets infrastructure business. Its diversified global business focuses on capital formation, intellectual property and risk and balance sheet management. LSEG operates an open access model, offering choice and partnership to customers across all of its businesses. The Group can trace its history back to 1698.

The Group operates a broad range of international equity, ETF, bond and derivatives markets, including London Stock Exchange; Borsa Italiana; MTS (Europe's leading fixed income market); and Turquoise (a pan-European equities MTF). Through its platforms, LSEG offers market participants, including retail investors, institutions and SMEs unrivalled access to Europe’s capital markets. The Group also plays a vital economic and social role, enabling companies to access funds for growth and development.

Through FTSE Russell, the Group is a global leader in financial indexing, benchmarking and analytic services with approximately $10 trillion benchmarked to its indexes. The Group also provides customers with an extensive range of data services, research and analytics through Mergent, SEDOL, UnaVista, XTF and RNS.

Post trade and risk management services are a significant part of the Group’s business operations. In addition to majority ownership of LCH, a multi-asset global CCP operator, LSEG owns CC&G, the Italian clearing house; Monte Titoli, a leading European custody and settlement business; and globeSettle, the Group’s CSD based in Luxembourg.

LSEG is a leading developer and operator of high performance technology solutions, including trading, market surveillance and post trade systems for over 40 organisations and exchanges, including the Group’s own markets. Additional services include network connectivity, hosting and quality assurance testing. MillenniumIT, GATElab and Exactpro are among the Group’s technology companies.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, with significant operations in North America, Italy, France and Sri Lanka, the Group employs approximately 3,500 people.

Further information on London Stock Exchange Group can be found at www.lseg.com.